What is dirty keto?

Dirty keto follows the same principles as the original keto, but focuses mainly on those macronutrients you need (60 to 75 percent of your calories from fat, 15 to 30 percent of your calories from protein, and 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs). It deemphasizes where those macronutrients come from.

For example, instead of going all-in on avocado and olive oil, you opt for more processed foods, like sliced cheese and pork rinds (two items seen in a Facebook community dedicated to dirty keto).

The origins of the spin-off diet are unclear, but its popularity is undeniable: Quite a few Facebook communities are devoted to it (such as one called The Dirty Keto Life).

How is dirty keto different from the regular keto diet?

At its core, keto is all about minimizing your carbs and increasing the fats you eat to get your body to use fat as a form of energy (a.k.a. ketosis), says Scott Keatley, R.D., of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. You’re also encouraged to get your macronutrients from healthy foods like organic means, limit saturated fats, and focus on healthy fats.

But dirty keto seems to not care as much about where your fat sources come from, says Keatley. So, if you want to have a fast-food egg-and-sausage sandwich (sans biscuit) followed by a bun-less bacon cheeseburger for lunch, and ice cream for dinner, you’re golden—on this diet, at least. Dirty keto dieters also don’t pay as much attention to vegetables and other keto-friendly sources of fiber.

As you might guess, this isn’t great for your overall health. For starters, there’s all the processed foods you’re eating. But dirty keto could also increase your risk of having a bad case of the “keto flu,” having IBS-like symptoms, and feeling wiped out in general, says Keatley.

That’s likely because you’re choosing those super-processed foods, which don’t add much to your diet overall, over ones that can actually supplement your health, such as healthy fats and vegetables.Cue feeling like total crap.

Will dirty keto help you lose weight?

Sure—even if you’re in ketosis by following dirty keto, you’re still in ketosis.

“The goal of a keto diet is to place your body into a physiological state of ketosis, where your body uses fat instead of sugar because there is limited available sugar,” Keatley says. “This state can be achieved through both good and bad methods.”

But keep in mind that calories still matter. You need to subtract about 500 calories from your daily caloric needs to lose about a pound a week.

As for whether or not dirty keto is healthy—even in comparison to the original keto diet—that’s another story. Dirty keto doesn’t necessarily promote health (or healthy weight loss), thanks to processed foods that are typically eaten in place of other foods that contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, fats, and fiber, says Keatley.

Should you try the dirty keto diet?

The short answer is, probably not. “It’s a temporary fix at best,” says Keatley. At worst, it’s “a really good way to lose lean body mass that is difficult to get back and aids in maintaining a high functioning metabolism,” he adds.

But the original keto diet isn’t great for people in the long-term either, says Alissa Rumsey, M.S., R.D. “While you may lose weight in the short term, 90 to 95 percent of people who lose weight with diets will gain it back, and two-thirds of people gain back more than they lost,” she says.

“This type of yo-yo dieting—or weight cycling—can be more detrimental to your health than just staying at a higher weight.” And if you throw a nutrient-poordiet into the mix, like with dirty keto, you’re not doing yourself any favors either, she says. Sounds like a definite hard pass for dirty keto.

The bottom line: Dirty keto might seem like an easier version of the keto diet, but it’s decidedly less healthy—and likely even less sustainable.

Korin MillerKorin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more.

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